Today's Baltimore Sun reports, "No death penalty for man convicted of killing prison officer." It's by Andrea F. Siegel.
Members of an Anne Arundel County jury were certain that Lee Edward Stephens was guilty of murder, but prosecutors could not convince them that the inmate — already serving a life sentence when he killed a correctional officer in 2006 — should be put to death.
The jury decided Wednesday that Stephens will get another life sentence, this time without possibility of parole, for fatally stabbing Cpl. David McGuinn as he made his rounds at the now-closed House of Correction in Jessup.
Death penalty opponents said the outcome of the seven-week trial reflects public sentiment about executions. Supporters of capital punishment said they were pleased that the state can put the option on the table. McGuinn's family was satisfied that his killer would never be set free.
Crystal D'Amore, McGuinn's sister, said she respects the jury's verdict as she is sure he would have.
"I feel like either way, [Stephens] would sit in jail," said Shayna McGuinn, the officer's daughter. The positive aspect, she said, is that he can "sit there and think about it."
That has long been a complaint about the death penalty, as inmates spend decades on death row while cases work their way through a complex system of appeals, hearings and possible retrials.
Executions in Maryland have been on hold for six years, amid wrangling over state regulations on the procedure, repeal attempts and a measure making it harder for prosecutors to seek capital punishment. Five men are on death row.
Hearings on death penalty repeal are scheduled this month in House and Senate committees. But the General Assembly is expected to spend the rest of the session on pressing financial issues, making prospects for legislation on capital punishment unclear.
The (Annapolis) Capital reports, "Inmate spared from death penalty," by Heather Rawlyk.
The jury agreed prosecutors had proved the aggravating factor that Stephens was serving a sentence in prison when he committed the murder.
But, the dozen jurors unanimously agreed Stephens was raised in a culture of poverty, drugs, chaos and violence, did not have any positive male role models in his life, is a product of a broken system, and is a person whose life has value. Some, but not all jurors, also agreed that Stephens had an unaddressed learning disability and low IQ, was exposed to excessive violence in prison and in juvenile services, was sexually abused as a child, was exposed to racism his whole life, and that the Maryland House of Correction failed to provide a secure and safe prison, which ultimately contributed to McGuinn's death.
In the end, the jury determined those 16 mitigating circumstances far outweighed the state's single aggravating factor.
"The mitigators really do say it all in this case…" defense attorney Gary E. Proctor said after Wednesday's hearing. "This was a jury who knew they had an independent duty to assess all evidence and decide what the appropriate sentence should be, and they went about it exactly that way."
The weeks-long murder trial, beginning Jan. 11 before Circuit Judge Paul A. Hackner, was the county's first murder case in more than five years that could result in the death penalty. If Stephens was sentenced to death, it would have been the first time since Maryland's law changed to reserve capital punishment for murders in which there is a videotaped confession or biological evidence linking the defendant to the crime.
Earlier coverage of Maryland capital punishment issues begins at the link.
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